The present invention relates to an electrical switchgear having an insertable and retractable apparatus rack and having break-contact devices for detachably connecting the main circuits of the switching devices situated on the apparatus rack, with conductors, used for the incoming supply, permanently arranged in the switchgear, whereby the actuating direction of the break-contact devices during insertion and retraction is provided perpendicularly to the moving direction of the apparatus rack.
A switchgear of this type is disclosed in DE-U-1 943 468. In this switchgear, the break-contact devices serve to connect the switching devices on the apparatus rack to stationary busbars. The movable parts of the break-contact devices are designed as isolating blades that are pivoted on the apparatus rack. These isolating blades interact with busbars. Which are configured on the side of the apparatus rack and lie vertically, one behind the other, in the slide-in direction. Additional break-contact configurations are provided for the outgoing-circuit connecting terminals of the apparatus rack and are situated on the back side of the apparatus rack.
Without introducing any special measures, the lateral engagement of the incoming-side break-contact devices with the busbars causes the slide-in action of the device to be blocked in the voltage-carrying state against the movement of the apparatus rack on its guide pieces in the switchgear. Nevertheless, in practice, one cannot refrain from using additional mechanical blocking devices, because as a result of the one-sided engagement of the isolating blades with the busbar configuration, the danger exists that careless operation could cause the apparatus rack to tilt in its guidance and could also damage the interacting parts.